Respirator



May 24, 1955 PH 2,708,932

RESPIRATOR Filed Aug. 3, 1951 INVENTOR.

United States Patent RESPIRATOR George]. Pipher, Reading, Pa., assignorto Willson Products, Inc., Reading, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaThe present invention relates to a respirator, and more particularly toa strainer or filter bag for a respirator to protect the wearer againstdust and other harmful inhalations. This invention constitutes animprovement over the respirator construction shown in United StatesPatent Number 1,837,591 to H. F. Shindel dated December 22, 1931,assigned to the present assignee.

An outstanding disadvantage of presently used respirator bags, such asthe one disclosed in the above mentioned patent, is that they aregenerally made up of several pieces and, more specifically, as shown inthe above patent, three pieces which must be carefully shapedindividually and then sewn together along substantial lengths of seams.These long seams not only detract from the efliciency of the respiratorand the appearance but involve unnecessary expenditure of time inmanufacture which appreciably increases the cost, particularly inlarge-scale manufacture of such respirator bags.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel strainer orfilter bag for a respirator which is devoid of the above-nameddisadvantages and which can be made very simply and inexpensively, alsowhich involves a minimum of seam lengths.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide a novelshaped blank in the form of a one-piece fabric which is so shaped thatwhen its adjoining edges are sewn together it will form a completefilter bag for a respirator.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent froma study of the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank of filter material, such as cloth,showing the general outline or configuration before the blank is foldedfor the seaming operation.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the blank shown in Figure 1 wherein the stemportion is folded over the main body portion and in readiness forfurther bending of the body portion to bring the edges to be seamedtogether.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the respirator strainer element orfilter bag showing the appearance of the completed bag after thecorresponding edge portions have been sewn together along the two majorlengths of seams.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a frame ring which is adapted to bemounted on the face of the wearer and to which the open or mouth end ofthe filter bag is adapted to be turned over and firmly secured, and

Figure 5 is a side elevational view, partly in cross section, of acomplete respirator showing the mode of the attachment of the respiratorbag to the frame ring and the manner that the frame ring is held againstthe face of the wearer.

Referring more particularly to Figure l of the drawing, numeral 1denotes, generally, a blank of filter material, such as cloth, which iscut out to form a body portion a, somewhat of the shape of a four-leafclover, and a stem portion b. The two upper leaf portions of thesomewhat Patented May 24, 1955 'ice clover-leaf shape of the bodyportion a are truncated along straight lines c and dwhich together withthe bottom edge e of thestem portion are adapted to form the mouthportion of the completed respirator bag. The stem portion b is curvedinwardly at its lower part and outwardly at its upper part as shown, sothat when the stern portion b is folded over portion a in the mannershown in Figure 2, the curved outer edges of the stem portion willcorrespond to the curvature of the curved parts of the body portion sothat when the respective edge portions thereof are brought together andsewn along lines of scams, 1 and g such as shown in Figure 3, they willform a completed bag to serve as a strainer or filter bag. The sides ofthe small triangular cut-out portion at the top of body portion a arebrought together and sewn along seam h.

It will be observed in Figures 3 and 5 that the strainer bag has a mouthportion of greater circumference than the adjoining neck portion andthat the general shape of the bag is somewhat similar to that of aboxing glove,

that is generally rounded at the closed end and of less curvature alongthe side portions as viewed in Figure 3.

Figure 4 shows a frame ring of well known construction for mounting onthe face of the wearer as shown in Figure 5 and onto which the mouthportion of the bag is fastened. The frame ring comprises a substantiallytriangular element, preferably of rubber or other flexible material,having an apex portion 2, adapted to fit around the nose of the wearer,and a widened lower portion 3 which is adapted to underlie the mouth ofthe wearer above the chin. The frame ring has an outwardly turnedmarginal edge or bead portion 4, extending throughout the entireperiphery with the exception of the nose portion 2 and onto which anedge portion of the mouth of the bag is adapted to be turned over,inside out, as shown in Figure 4 so as to present the interior surfaceof the bag against the face of the wearer to provide a more effectiveair-tight seal with the face of the wearer. The interior surface of thebag is preferably more fleecy or fluffy as compared to the exteriorsurface so as to increase the air-tightness of the fit with the face ofthe wearer. The outwardly turned marginal edge portion of the mouth ofthe bag is firmly clamped in place by means of a wire spring or clamp 5.

The filter bag when mounted on the frame ring is mounted on the face ofthe wearer by means of flexible straps 6 whose forward ends are securedto opposite sides of the frame ring by snap fastener elements 7.

In order to keep the bag in its distended or expanded position, adistender spring 8 is provided which is in the shape of a helicallycoiled wire whose diameter at the central portion is greater than thoseof the end portions as shown in Figure 3 and whose extremities 8a arehooked so that they may be joined together when the spring is compressedfor storing the spring in a smaller space for packing, etc.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a novel filter bagconstruction for a respirator which enables the making of the filter bagfrom a single blank piece instead of from several blank pieces as isconventional, furthermore, I have provided a novel blank shape which isso cut out as to provide a complete bag with a minimum amount ofseaming, therefore greatly increasing the el'ficiency of the bag as wellas greatly enhancing the appearance and, above all, greatly saving timein the manufacture thereof and considerably reducing manufacturingcosts.

While I have illustrated and described a specific embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that this is by way of illustrationonly, and that various changes and modifications may be made within thecontemplation of my invention and within the scope of the followingclaim.

I claim:

A respirator comprising a face-fitting, substantially triangular framering, a strainer bag having an inner fleecy surface and having a mouthportion turned out and detachably secured to said frame ring so that afleecy inner wall portion thereof will engage the face of the wearer toprovide an air tight seal, the front and side portions of said bag beingdevoid of seams extending lengthwise of the bag and being in the form ofa one piece blank of filtering cloth of substantially cloverleaf shapeconsisting of an integral stem-like portion and a body portionsubstantially in the form of a four-leaf clover with the two leaf-likeprotuberances most removed from said stem truncated along straightlines, portions of the outer margins of which form a seam with the outermargins of said integral stem-like portion which is outwardly curvedthen inwardly curved in a direction toward its extremity, whereby onlytwo major seams are provided which extend along the height of said bagand which are located at the rear of said bag.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,184,485 Mummert May 23, 1916 1,683,678 Kitterman et al. Sept. 11, 19281,837,591 Shindel Dec. 22, 1931.

2,009,073 Shindel July 23, 1935 2,425,683 Martin Aug. 12, 1947 FOREIGNPATENTS 445,366 Great Britain Apr. 8, 1936

